The Microsoft Office website features plenty of report templates that you can customize and use for your business. However, most relevant templates can be used only for Microsoft Word. Microsoft Publisher may have fewer report templates available but you have more flexibility when it comes to positioning text elements and graphics. You can start with a basic Microsoft Publisher template and have more freedom in designing a report that matches your company theme or image.
Step 1
Launch Microsoft Publisher from the desktop or Start screen. In the Microsoft Publisher window, click the "Built-in" link underneath the "Search for online templates" search box to see the available template categories.
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Step 2
Pick a category from the set of thumbnails and choose a specific template for your report. For instance, you can go to "Business Forms" and select any item under the "Expense Report" category if you wish to create an expense report. Otherwise, pick a more basic template from a category such as the "Letterhead" category and choose any of the templates there so you have a simple design to work with for your report. Click the "Create" button to create the report design.
Step 3
Click the "Page Design" tab on the toolbar to see the available design options. Click on a color scheme in the "Schemes" section of the toolbar to change the color scheme of your report. Use the buttons on the right side of the color scheme list to see other schemes.
Step 4
Click the "Fonts" button in the "Schemes" section of the toolbar and choose the font scheme you like for your report. Click the "Background" button on the "Page Background" section of the toolbar and pick your desired background style from the available options.
Step 5
Click on any text on the document workspace to edit the text area. For instance, you can click on the "Business Name" label on your expense report template and replace the text with your business name. Repeat this step with other text fields in which you need to add or edit report data.
Step 6
Click the "Insert" tab on the toolbar to see the elements you can add to the report, if necessary. For example, clicking the "Draw Text Box" button adds a text area where you can enter report data. This is useful if you are working with a blank page or letterhead template. Click on any of the other buttons on the toolbar if you need to add other elements.
Step 7
Click the "File" button and then "Save" once you finalized the design and content of your report. Enter a file name in the "File name" text box within the Save As dialog and browse to the location you wish to save the report. Click the "Save" button to save the report.
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